What's Ahead for Shilshole Bay Marina?​

November 14, 2017 Update

At the November 14 Port Commission meeting, the project team received construction funding to replace the old, worn restrooms with larger, more efficient and multi-use customer service facilities that incorporate sustainable design elements. Parking lot paving is also included in the $12 million upgrade.

The project consists of the construction of three new buildings. Two large, multi-use buildings (restroom, shower and laundry) will be located in the south and central areas of the marina, plus a smaller restroom/shower only building at the north end of the facility. As part of the project, two of the older restroom structures would be repurposed for storage (M2 and M5) and two will be demolished (M4 and M6). In addition, a significant portion of the parking lot will be paved.

The South and Central buildings would have a footprint of approximately 2,800 square feet each and include separate ADA accessible men’s and women’s restrooms with toilet, sink and shower areas, along with two family unisex restrooms with shower facilities and will also be ADA accessible. These larger buildings also incorporate tenant laundry areas larger than the existing facilities, with room for further expansion as needed. The North building would be approximately 800 square feet and include six individual unisex restroom and shower facilities (three each). Although consolidated into fewer buildings, the new facilities will significantly increase the number of showers over the existing configuration, and more than double the current laundry capacity, both top priorities in outreach feedback.

Sustainability

The design incorporates sustainable features including radiant heated floors, water saving fixtures, onsite stormwater management bioswales and rooftop photovoltaic panel arrays on the two larger buildings.These solar arrays will offset an estimated 70% of the restrooms’ electrical use.

The South and Central buildings will also include geothermal heat pumps as the primary heating and cooling system for the building, the first such system the Port has built. These systems will use approximately seven, 300-foot deep wells per building, to exchange heat pulled from the ground to heat and cool the building spaces much like an air conditioner does with outside air. The geothermal heat pumps are expected to handle over 70% of the buildings heating and cooling needs without requiring outside fossil fuels.

Thank you to everyone who contributed input to shape the project. The final design incorporates the feedback received from moorage and business tenants during the individual and public outreach meetings to provide the best user experience possible.

September 8, 2017 Update

The Port of Seattle’s project team have applied to the City of Seattle’s Department of Construction and Inspections for building permits for the new restroom/laundry facilities.

Staff expect the approval to take approximately four months.

June 14, 2017 Update

The Port of Seattle hosted a Shilshole Bay Marina Community Meeting on June 13 to update moorage customers, tenants and neighbors about the Restroom & Laundry Building project which is at the 60% design mark. The project team presented interior and exterior artist renderings and specifics about the structures and project schedule.

March 8, 2017 Update

The team spent the last several months exploring the feasibility of adding a second floor to the new restroom buildings. Their extensive review found that the construction costs were very high and that the second floor was not financially viable in the current construction market and its pricing. As a result, the project will move ahead with three single-story buildings as presented last fall. The team will also pursue the paving project at the end of the construction.

The new timetable includes:

Design at 60%: May, 2017

Shilshole Community Meeting: May/June, 2017

Design at 90% & permits submitted: July/August, 2017

Construction project out to bid: December, 2017

Start of construction: April, 2018

In an effort to make the buildings more sustainable, the team is exploring a geothermal heating system to serve as the main heating source. These systems use a closed-loop ground source heat pump to draw energy from 300’ below the ground’s surface and use it to heat the buildings. While the initial system can be more expensive than a traditional heating system, over time it pays for itself as energy bills are reduced. A test well--300’ deep-- will be drilled at the end of March. The activity will take approximately one week in an area near M-4.

Solar photovoltaic systems are also planned for the restrooms, and together with the geothermal heat source, they would substantially increase the buildings energy independence, provide cost savings and environmental advantages.

Background: The restroom/laundry project provides three new buildings at Shilshole. The two larger buildings include showers, restrooms and laundry facilities and are approximately 3,000 square feet. The new laundry facilities will offer twice as many washer/dryers. A new North End building will provide showers and restrooms in about 900 square feet. In comparison, each of the existing buildings are about 900 square feet and built in 1962.